Show Me Love
by Mujitsu
Summary: Last oneshot in my Love trilogy. This time, Miroku has to prove to Sango that he loves her, before she gives up on him. Read and Review, ne? Mujitsu


Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Usually I would add something witty and cute here, but I got nothing. Go figure?

(A/N: Hey all, It's me again. I know I haven't really updated anything in a while, but I have a valid excuse. For some reason lately, my hands have been shaking uncontrollably. At first, I just thought it was muscle fatigue because I have a job that includes typing and a lot of alphabetizing. But when it continued to a point where I almost dropped my cup, I knew something was wrong. I saw my chiropractor because I thought it was something neurological, and it turns out I have a pinched nerve in my shoulder and a rib that was out of place. He told me to take it easy on the typing and writing, which is why I haven't updated in a while. In fact, I really shouldn't be doing this right now, but I've been going crazy just sitting around and doing nothing, so I thought I might as well finish up my "Love" one-shot series. So, without me dawdling on anymore, here is the third and final story, "Show Me Love." Enjoy.)

Show Me Love

"Will you do me the honor of having my child?"

"Oh, Houshi-sama, you're joking."

"Of course not ladies. I would love to be the father of your children." He took the hands of the woman in front of them and gazed at her with his deep violet eyes. "They are bound to be just as beautiful as you."

A high giggle met his words as the woman flushed with pleasure at the handsome man's words.

Sango watched in growing irritation as the wayward monk once again tried to seduce the young ladies of the village they were currently passing through. She would normally go up to him and smack him one with her Hiraikotsu, but even that was getting tiring. So, she turned away.

"Sango-chan?" She turned to see Kagome's concerned eyes. "Are you okay?"

Sango put on a bright smile. "Of course Kagome-chan. Why do you think anything is wrong?"

Kagome looked at her warrior friend, noticed the tightness around her eyes, and looked behind her at the monk who was still busy flirting. "Because usually you would have Miroku on the ground twitching by now. Aren't you going to stop him?"

Sango lifted her chin, a little defiantly. "No, why should I? If he wants to stop every pretty girl we come across, who am I to stop him?"

SMACK!

They both turned to see Miroku on the ground and the woman he was talking to stomp off in a huff. He got up slowly and dusted off his robes, which were covered in dust. He made his way to the two women, standing beside a tense Sango.

"Inuyasha and Shippou still aren't back from trying to find us shelter, Kagome-sama?" he asked, rubbing his red cheek.

"No," Kagome said, her attention still on Sango, who seemed to be trying to ignore Miroku.

"Ah, that's a shame," he said with a sigh. "I might have to perform an "exorcism" as usual to get us a place to stay." Another pretty girl walked past them. "We could try her house," he said, his eyebrows waggling suggestively. Kagome sighed and waited for Sango to blow up at him, but all she noticed was that Sango's shoulders slumped a bit. Even Miroku frowned at her, wondering why she hadn't said anything.

_She seems to be distracted_, he thought, oblivious to the Taijiya's growing irritation. _Maybe she needs a little wake-up call_…He wiggled his fingers in anticipation.

Grope…grope…

They all waited for the familiar slap, but no one was more shocked than Miroku when Sango calmly took his hand off her backside with two fingers, as if it were disgusting, and returned it to his side. Turning sharply on her heel, she walked just as calmly away, as if nothing happened.

"Okay," Kagome said slowly. "That was weird."

Miroku just looked in confusion at the retreating Sango, and looked down at the hand that had just been…well, refused. To say he was bewildered was an understatement, but he was more surprised to feel a sharp pang of hurt. She had never really ignored him before…and well….it wasn't pleasant at all.

"Oi, Kagome, Miroku!" He was jarred out of his thoughts when Inuyasha ran up to them with Shippou on his shoulder. "Let's just camp out tonight," the hanyou said. "All the inns are full."

"What he means to say," Shippou piped up. "Is that they wouldn't let him in because he was a hanyou." Inuyasha's fist met the kit's head, making a fairly large bump.

"Shut it, twerp," he growled.

"Inuyasha, is that true?" Kagome asked in a concerned voice.

Inuyasha looked at her for a split second before sticking his nose in the air. "Keh! So what if it is? I didn't want to sleep there anyway with those stupid humans."

Kagome looked knowingly at him, right through the façade he was trying to put on. His feelings were actually hurt, but rather than admitting it, he would rather look tough and uncaring. Just like Sango was doing to Miroku lately…

"I think Sango went for a little walk, so why don't you guys go find a good site, and I'll go find her," she said. _And ask her what's going on with Miroku_, she added mentally. She gave a little wave and ran off in the direction her friend had gone moments before. Inuyasha wandered off ahead of them to begin sniffing out an ideal camp site.

"Shippou," Miroku whispered to the fox demon. "Follow Kagome-sama, but be quiet about it. She's going to find Sango, and I need you to listen to what she says."

"So basically you want me to spy on them," Shippou said, crossing his little paws over his chest.

"Er-well, not spy, per se," Miroku said. "I just need information."

"How much?"

"How much what?"

"How much will you pay me," the kitsune said slyly. "You don't expect me to do this for you without anything in return?"

Miroku sweatdropped. "Ah, uh, well…" He sighed and took out the chocolate candy bar from his robe that Kagome had given him. His last one…

"Here."

Shippou snatched it out of his hand in a second and ran after Kagome.

_Don't get caught, Shippou_, he thought. He didn't need another reason for Sango to be mad at him. Not that he knew what the first reason was. He sighed again.

Women…

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Kagome searched through the throng of people in the village for her friend. Finally, she spotted Hiraikotsu sitting outside of a building with Kirara standing faithfully beside it.

"Kirara," Kagome said breathlessly, running to the demon cat. "Is Sango inside?"

Kirara mewed the affirmative and Kagome ducked through the doorway into the smoky room. And stopped in shock.

Out of all places in the world to go, and the last place she ever thought to see Sango, was in a bar. Granted, it wasn't like the bars in her time, but it served alcohol nonetheless, and there was Sango sitting at a table in the middle of the day, downing a cup of warmed sake.

"Sango-chan!" she exclaimed. Sango looked up at her in surprise, stopping mid-drink.

"Kagome-chan! What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing. What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong," Sango said airily, taking another sip of her drink. "Everything is fine and dandy. Couldn't be better."

Kagome crossed her arms and looked pointedly at her. "Sango…"

"I don't want to talk about it, Kagome-chan."

"You might not _want_ to talk about it, but I think you _need_ to. Please, tell me what's wrong."

Sango considered her friend, standing in front of her determined and unmoving, and sighed. She knocked back the rest of her drink and stood up. "Fine, but not here."

They walked back out into the sunlight, and Sango retrieved her weapon, Kirara mewing with concern at her. The walk out of the village was silent for most of the way, and it was obvious to Kagome that Sango wasn't going to start offering any information; it was up to her to get the ball rolling.

"Does this have anything to do with Miroku?"

She had her answer when Sango tensed up. "You didn't smack him today when he groped you. Why? I think you hurt his feelings."

"I hurt _his_ feelings?" Sango rounded on her. "What about me? Does he think of my feelings whenever he gropes anything with a chest, right in front of me? Does he think of my feelings whenever he gropes me in front of everyone? Does he think of me when he does all that while proclaiming to have feelings for me? Does he, Kagome?"

"Sango," Kagome whispered, hurting for her friend, but knowing she needed to get it all out. This must have been boiling in her for a while, and it was time to finally let it out.

"I'm tired, Kagome. I'm tired of everyone expecting something to happen between us, and then having him go off to every woman around, asking them to have his baby. I'm starting to doubt his feelings for me at all."

"Sango, I know he loves you."

"I think I know that too. It's just that his actions never say it. He needs to show me love."

"What will prove to you that he loves you?" Kagome asked curiously. "If he stopped groping women?"

"That would be nice," she admitted. "But right now even that wouldn't convince me."

"Why not?"

"Because it's in his nature to grope women. I need it to be in his nature to love me, too."

"I don't think I understand."

Sango let out a huff, frustrated. "I don't really understand myself." She paused, trying to get her thoughts together. "I don't want him to think about it. If he loves me he needs to do something that's second-nature, something instinctive. Like Inuyasha does with you."

Kagome did a double-take. "W-what are you talking about? Inuyasha does what?"

"Oh, don't tell me you don't see it, Kagome," Sango said a bit impatiently. "Every time your life is on the line, Inuyasha throws himself in the way of danger for you. He'd do anything for you. You don't think that's love?"

Kagome was speechless. She'd never really thought of it like that, and before she knew it, she was smiling. But it disappeared when she saw the dejected look on Sango's face.

"Give him time, Sango. He'll realize how much he needs you if you leave him alone to sort through his feelings."

"Or find another woman to grope," she said cynically.

"Don't take that attitude, Sango-chan!" Kagome said cheerfully, grabbing onto her arm and dragging her into the woods. "Just give it a few days, and he'll come around."

"I hope you're right, Kagome-chan."

Both women didn't notice Shippou, who was following them at a distance in the trees.

_Show her love, hmm?_ He thought. _Miroku's going to have his hands full._ He went faster, trying to get to the worried monk so he could tell him what was going on.

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"She wants me to what!"

Okay, so Miroku's reaction wasn't completely unexpected, but the jaw-drop was fun to see.

"Show her love," Shippou replied again. "She needs you to show her that you care about her, otherwise she's going to give up on you."

"That's harsh," Inuyasha spoke up, stuffing his face with ramen. Miroku just shot him a dirty look that he ignored. After all, he had ramen in his hands. What did he care about love problems…at least, until Shippou spoke again.

"And Sango also said that she wishes you would show that you love her like Inuyasha shows that he loves Kagome."

Miroku looked on in amusement as the hanyou choked on a mouthful of noodles. When Inuyasha could breathe again, he shouted, "What?"

"She said that since Inuyasha always shows Kagome he loves her by saving her, that's what she wants from Miroku. She wants proof."

"So, what, she wants me to stop groping women?"

"No, although she said it would be nice."

"Then what does she want me to do. She has to know that I love her already. I mean, when that stupid king wanted her for his wife, I was going to let her go so she could be happy. Isn't that enough?"

"Obviously not, since Inuyasha's beating you."

Inuyasha looked smug for a second, and then realized he might have been insulted. "Oi!"

"Anyway, she said it should be instinctive. You can't do anything consciously to convince her."

"How's that supposed to help me?" the agitated monk said, running his hand through his hair in frustration.

"I think a good place to start is to start paying more attention to her, and less time chasing after other women."

"But you just said that wouldn't help."

"But it also wouldn't hurt, baka," Inuyasha said. Suddenly he sniffed the air. "They're coming."

A few moments later, Kagome and Sango stepped through the bushes. Kagome dropped to the ground beside Inuyasha. "Whew, it was hard to find you guys. I'm pooped." She looked at Inuyasha, who was busy slurping his ramen again. "I see you already started dinner," she said dryly.

"Ah, yes," Miroku said, suddenly perking up. "Sango, would you like some?" He held out a bowl to her, looking as charming as he could. His smile drooped a little as she barely glanced at him as she took the bowl. "Thanks," she said casually, as if she would to an acquaintance.

_So that's how it's going to be_, he thought, a determined look taking place. So be it. If she wanted proof, she would get it.

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He was about ready to give up. It had been a week since Sango had started treating him like nothing more than a traveling companion, and it was driving him crazy. He hadn't even glanced at another woman the whole time, but did she notice? Noooooooooo, of course not, because that would be too easy on him.

They had stopped at a nearby village for the night, and Miroku had to do his usual performance to get them a room at a local noble's house because it had started to rain. Sango and Kagome had left for a bath a while ago, and Inuyasha and Shippou were lounging on the porch, listening to the rain, leaving Miroku alone to finish his meal, and contemplate his woman problems.

The door opened behind him, and turned to give a greeting, freezing when he saw a young maiden step into the room.

"Good evening, Houshi-sama," the beautiful woman said in a soft voice. "I've come to take your dishes."

Miroku gulped. He hadn't groped another woman all week, and already his cursed hand was pulling at the reins. But, he wouldn't give in, not if he needed to prove to Sango that he loved her. He would just make nice chit-chat and send the woman on her way.

"Good evening, madam. Thank you for your hospitality."

"Oh, it's no trouble," she said demurely, kneeling on the floor to pick up his tray. "It's my pleasure to serve such a nice and handsome man."

Sweat beaded on Miroku's forehead. _I must not grope…must not grope…it's for Sango…_

"Tell me, Houshi-sama," she said, looking coyly through her lashes up at him. "What is a handsome man like you doing traveling as a monk. Why haven't you settled down?"

"I've got other obligations," he said, trying to get her out of there as fast as he could. But then she turned to get the other dishes, and her back was to him, and his treacherous hand had started to reach for her posterior.

_I know I mustn't, but even Kami-sama would be tempted…_

His hand got steadily closer and closer and he was just about to ruin everything when a noise at the door brought him back to reality.

_What the hell am I doing?_ He thought. _No wonder Sango is always so mad at me if I can't even go one week without touching another woman. This is wrong!_

The young woman turned around to face him again, an invitation in her eyes and about to form on her lips, but he stopped her with a curt, "Good-night, madam."

"Good-night, Houshi-sama," she said a bit sadly.

Miroku let out a breath that he had been holding and quickly walked to the other door that led to a different part of the porch, away from everyone else. _Whew, that was a close one! If Sango had seen it…_ He snapped to attention as he saw the very woman herself in the distance, running into the woods. If the pink and black Taijiya uniform didn't alert him, the giant boomerang on her back would. _What the hell is she doing? She's running into the woods while it's raining in the middle of the night. Why would she…?_

He gasped as a thought suddenly struck him. What if she had seen his conversation with the young woman after all? That noise had sounded like someone had run away from the door…if it was Sango, she wouldn't have seen him refuse to touch the other woman.

_Damn it, she thinks I betrayed her again._ He ran back inside and quickly grabbed his staff. Jumping over the porch railing, he ran in the direction he had seen Sango run in, and angry look on his face. _I'm going to settle this once and for all. She'll know I'll love her tonight. I guarantee it._

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_Stupid, stupid, stupid_, Sango thought, wiping rain and tears off of her face. How could she have been so stupid? She had pushed Miroku away for too long, and now he was going to be with that other woman instead of trying to be with her. He didn't love her after all. She sobbed as she ran farther into the woods, not taking heed of where she was going. She was to upset to even notice…the scene at the house kept flashing through her mind. Coming back from the bath early, hearing voices in the room and opening the door a crack, only to see Miroku's hand hovering above the other woman's posterior. She had run away…she couldn't stand to see anymore.

She reached a clearing, and collapsed on her knees, Hiraikotsu landing with a clatter behind her. Nothing was going her way…

"Well, well, what have we here?" a voice hissed through the night, making her stand up straight, senses on alert. A split second later had her jumping out of the way as a stream of liquid came rushing out of the trees and landing where she was once standing. The grass soon began to hiss and smoke, disintegrating before her eyes.

_Acid…_

She glanced around her and only then noticed the holes. Shit…she had walked into the middle of a youkai nest! And looking at the acid and holes, it seemed like the snake demons didn't like anyone to trespass on their land. Through the shadow, she noticed five shaped begin to move closer and closer into her range of vision. The giant snakes slithered into the clearing before her, their eerie yellow eyes glowing in the night as they bared their fangs. She glanced at Hiraikotsu, lying out of her reach before them, and cursed. How did she get herself into this situation?

"She looksssss tasssssty," one hissed, and the others nodded in agreement.

The biggest one in the middle, the leader presumably, looked her over. "And a demon exterminator by the looksssss of it. This is our lucky day, boyssssssssss. Get her."

Two of them came at her at once, probably thinking she was without a weapon, but she dodged one and went for the eyes of the other, drawing her katana out of its sheath. She flipped in the air, slashing across its face, making it screech in pain as its eyes were rendered useless. She landed lithely on her feet and drew a pouch out of her shoulder pad and throwing it to the ground. Smoke filled the air, buying her time to try and escape while the snake's visibility lessened, but she underestimated the senses of the snakes. They could track her just by flicking out their tongues, and with one flick, she found herself thrown against a tree, having the wind knocked out of her and at least one rib broken. Gasping painfully as the smoke cleared, the remaining four snakes advanced on her.

Suddenly, all of her anger at Miroku vanished as she realized that she was going to die without seeing him one last time. Tears filled her eyes as breath after painful breath wrenched its way out of her.

As one of them struck at her, she closed her eyes. They shot open when a bright light flashed before her, and she saw an ofuda sticking to the snake's forehead. A second later, it disappeared as Miroku walked out of the woods to stand in front of her.

"Miroku…" Sango whispered.

He looked back at her, his violet eyes flashing. "Don't move, Sango. We've got a lot to discuss after I handle these guys." He turned back to face the snaked again. "Attacking a defenseless woman, five against one. That doesn't seem very fair to me."

"Who ever sssssaid anything about fair?" the leader said. "Sssshe walked into our camp firsssst."

"And she's going to walk back out," Miroku said, holding his staff in front of him.

The leader of the snake pack was content to stay back as his third comrade attacked the monk. Sango watched in awe from a kneeling position on the ground as she watched Miroku's staff twinkle in the moonlight and rain as it whirled around him. She had never seen Miroku like this, angry and determined all at once, and all on account of her. She gasped at his staff was knocked away by the tail of the snake and it slithered closer to the monk. "You lossssse," it whispered, but was taken aback by the wicked smile of the monk.

"Wrong," he said, putting a hand on his rosary. "KAZAANA!" The huge air void opened up, sending the writhing snake into its unending depths. In a flash, Miroku had the rosary back around his wrist and turned to face the leader.

"Now, I suggest you…" he trailed off on a gasp of pain and dropped to one knee.

"Houshi-sama!" Sango cried, crawling her way to his side. "Oh, Kami-sama," she whispered as she saw Miroku's hand was pure black. "It must be the poison inside the snake. I don't think you can take anymore."

"Yesssss," the leader said, advancing slowly to the kneeling couple. "Or poissssson is quite deadly and lethal. If you take more than what you have now, you will certainly die. Are you willing to risk it, Monk?"

Miroku looked up at the demon's eyes, full of malice and hate, and stood up slowly, sweat beading on his forehead and running down his face.

"I'm willing," he said slowly, putting his other hand on the rosary. "To do whatever it takes to kill you. Even if that means I die in the process."

"Miroku, no," Sango said, clutching at the hem of his robe. "Just go, please. You'll die!"

"That's not anything new, Sango," he said, looking down at her impassively. A look totally new for Miroku.

The hand that was turned black by poison clenched into a fist. "Ever since I've been cursed, I knew I was going to die. If not here and now, the Kazaana will kill me eventually." Suddenly, he smiled, looking like the old cheerful and happy Miroku. "I would rather die now protecting you than to be killed by something I have no control of later. Sounds like a good plan, ne?"

"No, no it's not!" she screamed. "You can't do this."

"I will do this, Sango," he said, that determined look returning to his face as he took one step forward, forcing her to let go of his robe. As he stood facing the leader, one hand ready to uncover his curse and his eyes totally focused, she realized what he was doing.

He was finally showing her love.

He really and truly loved her, and now he was going to die for her. Was love such a painful thing? Why did she find this now, only to lose him? Why was she so helpless now as he stood, waiting for the perfect chance to strike?

She didn't know love had that kind of power over someone, that they would actually die for those they cared about. You would think that the world would be better without love at all. No one would feel the hurt she was feeling right now as she lay gasping for breath, watching her love about to willingly kill himself.

No…no, the world wouldn't be better, she realized. Without love, there would be no hope. No hope for anyone. There would only be hate and violence and greed. Love may hurt sometimes, but it was there to counteract the worst of feelings. Hopelessness, apathy, hate.

She looked at the man before her, and the demon mocking him. She wasn't going to let him die needlessly. At least, not without her.

Miroku wanted to look back at Sango one last time, but knew it would only be more painful. He lifted his arm, now shaking with pain, directly at the youkai in front of him.

"KAZAA-" he started to say, but before he could take the beads off, Sango threw herself at him and they both fell to the ground. She cried out as her ribs took another beating, but she looked down at Miroku a second later. "You didn't think you were going to go through this alone, did you?"

"Sango…" he said, shocked, but his eyes shifted behind her to see the snake about to strike. "No!" he shouted, and rolled over on top of her to protect her. Right when he expected to feel teeth ripping into him, a bright light filled the clearing, along with a welcome voice.

"KAZE NO KIZU!" The snake screamed and writhed as Inuyasha's attack killed him in an instant.

"Yo," Inuyasha said, landing on the ground in front of them. "Don't you guys know not to wander off at night?"

"I guess not," Miroku said with a weak smile, and then blacked out.

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Later that night, Sango sat next to Miroku's side as he lay asleep, trying to purge the poison out of his system. The worst had passed, and now all he needed was rest

Her ribs had been bandaged up and would hurt for a while, but nothing could temper the happiness that was inside her. Miroku loved her! And she loved him. She glanced down affectionately at his face as he whispered something. She leaned closer to him as he whispered it again.

"Sango…"

She smiled softly at him, and almost yelped when she felt his hand on her backside. She was about to yell at him when she glanced at his face. He was still asleep!

She gently took his hand off of her, no longer able to be mad, and sat against the wall. Oh well, he wasn't perfect. And she didn't want him to be. She sighed softly and glanced at him one more time before her eyes began to droop. One thought ran through her mind as she joined the world of sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a glorious day…

She never saw the smile Miroku had on his face before he actually fell asleep for real.

Yes, glorious indeed…

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Okay guys, that's it. The end of my "Love" one-shots. I don't have very much else to say except I had lots of fun writing this one, I hope you like it, and please, please review it if you liked it!

Ja ne,

Mujitsu


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